The present invention relates to a casting station. More particularly, the present invention relates to a centrifugal dental casting station for a rotating casting machine which significantly improves usability.
A centrifugal casting machine uses an inertial momentum of rotation to inject a dissolved metal into a target mold. So there is required a weighty casting station that can absorb the rotational vibration.
Most conventional casting stations on the market such as induction casting units are provided together with casting machines. Accordingly the induction casting units are priced so high that more than 80% of dental laboratories in America choose centrifugal casting machines. The casting station applicable to the centrifugal casting machine has limitation in development and distribution due primarily to its weight.
When using a centrifugal casting machine, a variety of substitutes are selected for absorbing its vibration. For example, a wooden box or an oil drum may be filled with concrete and the centrifugal casting machine is placed thereon. However, the thusly installed casting station is discarded when moving the dental lab, because the concrete structure is permanent and unwieldly heavy to transport and a new casting station becomes improvised on the spot, thereby wasting money and time.
Further, such an improvised casting station may deteriorate casting quality and durability of the casting machine, and accordingly unbalanced level of the casting machine may further increase noise and vibration. Accordingly, there is a need for a casting station to efficiently support the centrifugal casting machine thereon and effectively absorb the vibration of the casting machine.
The present invention is contrived to overcome the conventional disadvantages. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a centrifugal dental casting station for a rotation casting machine which improves usability and workability.
To achieve the above-described object, the centrifugal dental casting station comprises a tank and a support means attached to the tank. The support means supports the rotating casting machine thereon so that the casting station can provide a substantially stable platform for operating the rotating casting machine thereon.
The tank comprises a base, side walls, a ceiling, a first opening, a closing means for the first opening, and a cross-traversing partition attached to the base and the side walls therein. The side walls may have middle portions and the ceiling may be attached to about the middle portions of the side walls.
The cross-traversing partition has an upper edge thereon. The base, the side walls and the ceiling form a cavity. The cavity can be filled with a filler material through the first opening. The closing means may be a cap covering the first opening to enclose the filler material when the filler material is inserted into the cavity.
In an embodiment, the support means may be a plurality of bolts. The bolts provide attachment of the rotating casting machine to the ceiling. The support means may further comprise at least one bolt mount fixedly attached to the upper edge of the cross-traversing partition and having a plurality of slide holes therethrough. The bolts are engaged through the slide holes to the casting machine so that the slide holes enable a slidably adjustable bolt engagement depending upon the rotating casting machine.
For a better performance, the casting station further comprises a protective wall mounted on the tank. The protective wall includes an inner protector. The inner protector together with the protective wall provides a substantial protection for the user when the rotating casting machine is installed onto the casting station.
The tank further comprises a second opening for draining the filler material out of the tank, a valve for regulating an outflow of the filler material through the second opening, and baffles attached to the base and the side walls inside the tank. The baffles serve to minimize the thickness and maximize the strength of the side walls. Also, the cross-traversing partition together with the upper edge reliably supports the bolts being engaged to the casting machine.
The advantages of the present invention are numerous. First, the present invention replaces the currently improvised casting stations for centrifugal dental casting machines being used in more than 80% dental labs in America and provides a standardized centrifugal dental casting station for thereby improving usability and work performance.
Second, the overall weight of the casting station is substantially decreased by thinnerizing the side walls while improving strength with the baffle and cross-traversing partition attachment to the side walls. Third, the filler material in the tank can be easily adjusted in amount depending upon requirements in view of noise and vibration generated by the casting machine, thereby improving stability.
Most importantly, the casting station according to the present invention, because of its lightweight and the adjustability of its weight, enables an easy installation and an easy transportation. Moreover, also because of its lightweight, when the filler material is removed, the centrifugal dental casting station along with the rotating casting machine can be easily leveled and its level can be easily adjusted when required in the future.